Vos, party of 4!

So, in case you haven't been following our story, or haven't read the last two posts let me catch you up...
Nov. 9, 2011- We completed all necessary steps to become a "waiting family" to adopt a domestic infant through Bethany Christian Services.
July 19, 2012- We receive a call that we have been chosen by a birth mom who would like to meet our family.
August 2, 2012- We meet with "M" over lunch with both our respective staff members through BCS.  After this meeting, "M" confirms that she has indeed chosen us to be the parents of her baby girl, due to be born October 14.  We have one more meeting with her so she can meet Anika.
October 10, 2012- We receive a call from our BCS adoption specialist that "M" has changed her mind and decided to parent her baby.
October 26, 2012- We meet with our new adoption specialist, Chloe (We were transferred to her because our previous one is beginning a counseling ministry through BCS.), and are put back on the waiting list.

That brings us to last Friday....

NOV. 2, 2012 (2:30 p.m. to be exact)-
My cell phone rings...
"Hi, Stephanie.  It's Chloe. Are you sitting down?"  
"Ummmm...I'm at home with Anika and Brad is out running errands, why?"
"Well, "M" has again changed her mind and would like you to come pick up the baby ASAP."  
Needless to say, the next hour is a chaotic flurry of me tracking Brad down to have him come home, throwing anything we thought we might need into the car, and securing childcare for Anika.

On our way!!!

We'd like to introduce you to our second daughter....

Amelia Nevaeh Vos.  Born Oct. 18, 2012.  8 lbs. 4 oz., 21 inches long.  Pretty perfect, dontcha think?

Meeting her big sister...

Daddy and his girls...

Momma and her girls...

First family of four photo...

Since Amelia was born in Oregon, we had to stay in OR for a week waiting for some legal paperwork to be processed before we could cross state lines and bring her home.  

Friday, Nov. 9 2012...finally headed HOME!!!!!

Thanks to all our family, friends, and church family who have prayed Amelia home and walked alongside of us through the ups and downs of this process.  We treasure you, and couldn't have done it without you.

We serve a mighty God, who's ways are not our ways.  He works miracles and hears His people.  This was the miracle He had chosen for our family, and we couldn't be more thrilled. 

Welcome home, Amelia!  We love you with all our hearts!

"Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" 2 Corinthians 9:15

   

A Time To Mourn

Throughout our adoptive journeys so far, we have always wanted to let people be a part of the process.  We do this because adoption is foreign and mysterious to most.  Our heart is to show the beauty in it as well.  So we enjoy letting people ask questions –insightful ones and those off the wall a bit.  We have shared our joy of being chosen, the reports of meeting with a birth mom, and the eager anticipation of welcoming another little one into our family.  

We feel it is time for us to share publically our sadness as well.  Yesterday, we received a phone call from our social worker that is every adoptive parents worst nightmare.  

“Your birth mom has changed her mind and decided to parent her baby.”  

Words do not describe the emotions we feel right now.  We knew this was a possibility.  It always is when you grow your family through adoption.  Yet, this still caught us off guard, as well as our social workers. We had met our birth mom twice over a three month period.  We had picked out a name together.  Less than one week ago, we had started to finalize the birth plan and post adoption agreement. It was looking so good especially with things so close to the due date (this Sunday).  Right or wrong, with each step we let down our guard a little more and let the hope of a baby set deeper into our hearts.

We share this with you because we know you care.  You would not be reading this if you didn’t.  So we are going to open up our hearts and let you in on this portion of our adoption journey.  We ask that you treat this news with sensitively and awareness.  Please realize that this isn’t just someone changing their mind to us.  It is a loss that we need to grieve because it feels a lot like we have lost a child.  We know that people react to this sentiment differently. Some can feel the depth.  Others may think that this is blowing things out of proportion.  Our loss isn’t as painful as losing a child of your own –either through miscarriage or after delivery.  This may be, but it doesn’t feel this way to us right now in the moment.  We want you to know that we feel a real pain and deep sense of grief.  Yes, this baby girl may have never been officially a part of our family or home.  Yes, we may have not been able to bond with her physically as she grew in our womb.  We hope that you can understand that while the biological parents get the gift of physically carrying the developing baby, adoptive parents are also in the process of “birthing” too-just differently.  They have been anticipating –usually for far more than nine months.  They are preparing their home.  They are hoping and dreaming and thinking about what life with their child may be.  As the day of birth draws near, they expectantly await the gift they too want to receive  -their baby.  They are “carrying their child” too just in a different place, perhaps even a more vulnerable one -- their hearts.  Yes, this baby was just a dream or a hope more than a reality.  We all need to grieve dreams too, especially those that come very close to coming true.

We ask you for your prayers and your support. We trust that God has a plan for our lives and that He will knit our family together eventually, exactly as it should be.  It is hard right now and it will be for a while –that’s what happens when people grieve.  Pray that God would give us the strength, the peace, and the hope that we need each day.  Pray that God would give us the wisdom we need to communicate all of this to our three year old little girl, whom He has already blessed us with.

We also ask that you pray for our birth mom and “our” baby girl.  We won’t get the privilege of raising her, but they both are still in our thoughts and our prayers.  We know that they have a hard road ahead of them.  Please join us in praying that God will give the birth mom the strength and energy that she needs and that she will trust in Jesus for everything.  Pray that God will bring people into her life that will give her the support that she needs so she doesn't have to go at this alone.  Please also join us in praying the prayer we have had for this baby girl since the day found out about her.  Pray that she would be born healthy, and that she would grow up to be a strong, healthy, smart young women, that she would always be surround by unconditional love, and that she would put her trust in Jesus.

Thanks for taking the time to read this and striving to understand what we are going through.  It means more than you know.

Brad and Stephanie

Vos, Party of 4...coming October 14!!

After 8 months of waiting...we got "the call" a few weeks ago.  We have been chosen by a birth mom to be the parents of a baby girl to be born in October.  We are overjoyed and ecstatic at the hope of adding another baby to our family.  At the same time, it is nerve wracking for us as we know there is always a possibility that either birth parent could change their mind about this adoption plan. Please pray with us for peace for everyone involved, for health of birth mom and baby, and that we might again be blessed with another precious princess in just 9 short weeks!  Ahhh!!!

The tutu: Don't leave home without it!

Our week in photos...

Happy Birthday Brad!

April 10 was Brad's birthday. As per usual, his only request was Chocolate Angel Food Cake. I think our daughter enjoys it as much as he does. I present to you the many faces of Chocolate Angel Food Cake enjoyment in the Vos house...

Apparently the other morning I took too long to brush my teeth. When I came down the stairs our fireplace and the window sills had all been completely (and beautifully) decorated and she had moved onto the trampoline. At least I know now the "washable markers" in her Easter basket truly are washable.

Grandma Faw

2 weeks ago today my (Stephanie) grandma Faw went home to be with her Savior, Jesus, whom she loved so much. I know my grandpa was right there to welcome her home, too. We miss her SO much already. I (Stephanie) had the privilege of growing up next door to her, so there were very few moments and experiences in my life that she was not somehow a part of. I am SO thankful for that gift, as not many people get to have that close of a relationship with their grandparents. She was truly a heroine of faith. The things my grandma left in my heart? Keep your eyes on Jesus, give freely what you have been given, and love your family with everything you have. I am so thankful that I did not lose my grandma...we're just separated for a little while...for I know exactly where she is, and she is more alive now than ever before. I am so blessed to be a part of her legacy and heritage. I can't wait to see her again!

One of my favorite photos of my grandma with Anika at her first birthday party...they each had a special spot in their hearts for each other. :)